This programme will distribute some of the funds received by BCP Council via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK, investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

We are offering grants of up to £5,000 supporting capital costs to improve community buildings.

Successful grants will be awarded in August 2025 and grants must be fully spent by March 31, 2026. Extensions cannot be offered and unspent funds must be returned

 

Eligibility

Organisations that can apply:

• Registered Charities
• Constituted Community and Voluntary Organisations
• Community Interest Companies limited by guarantee
• Companies limited by guarantee that have a clear not-for-profit clause in their governing document and clear charitable or social objectives

Organisations must be community buildings based in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and priority will be given to those based in the area.

We do not fund national charities, including those with distinct services in Dorset*

* We define a National Charity as one operating face to face activities in areas outside the South of England. There may be some discretion given by panels if more than 50 per cent of activities are delivered in Dorset and there is a strong local presence and accountability, but we recommend you talk to the Grants Manager before applying (see Pre-application support, below). We can fund groups that are affiliated to, or members of a national body if you are financially independent and have independent governance (this means you are solely responsible for your own activities, not the national body). 

To be eligible the organisation must have:

• At least three unrelated people responsible for running the organisation (for registered charities these are your Trustees, for CICs/Social Enterprises these are your Directors)
• A written constitution or set of rules that sets out the purpose and management of the organisation
• A bank account in the name of the organisation with at least two unrelated signatories required for payments
• An appropriate Safeguarding Policy and EDI policy

Exclusions:

• Schools are not eligible but we can fund PTA groups if they meet our eligibility guidelines
• We cannot fund the promotion of religion or political causes – faith based organisations should advise whether funded activities are designed to, or include elements that are designed to influence people’s religious choices
• We cannot fund public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations
• We cannot fund animal welfare organisations
• We cannot offer retrospective funding for items already purchased or work completed
• Organisations with more than 12 months’ unrestricted reserves are usually not funded

Fund priorities

The Fund is offering grants to support capital improvements, for community groups running community buildings in BCP that provide facilities for local community-led groups and activities. Community buildings must support multiple local groups and community activities – not just deliver their own services. Examples include community centres, community hubs or village halls.

In your application it will be important to describe the kinds of community groups and activities that take place in your community building and how they support the needs in your local community. This might be by addressing isolation & loneliness, improving health & wellbeing, offering opportunities for life long learning, and opportunities for social connectivity and support. You will also need to describe how the grant will be used improve your community building for the groups who use it.

Supporting local community buildings aligns to the outcomes contained within the BCP Corporate Plan; Sustainable Environment, Connected Communities, Brighter Futures, Fulfilled Lives. The BCP Corporate Plan summary can be found HERE

What I can apply for – the grant must be used to support capital costs that will help to maintain, enhance or increase the use of your community building, thereby supporting your sustainability. Examples include; kitchen improvements, replacement flooring, replacement doors or windows, replacement lighting or heating system, redecoration or refurbishment, new furniture, additional equipment for use by multiple groups, energy efficiency measures to reduce overheads.

What I cannot apply for – general overheads, running costs or staff costs, perishable items, contributions towards large capital appeals such as building extensions.

Monitoring & reporting

You will be asked to submit an online End of Grant Report by April 12, 2026.

Completion of an online End of Grant report is a requirement of funding, including how funds were spent, the impact of the grant on your organisation, and the outcomes achieved (the difference made to the lives of people who take part in community activities at your building). We are also interested in any challenges or learning during the grant period.

Pre-application support

Pre-application support is particularly encouraged for groups who have not applied to our grant programmes before. If you are in need of advice about the application process, or you are unsure whether your project/activity is suitable please email our Grants Manager to arrange a 20 minute phone call.

Please also contact us if you need the application form in an alternative format.

• Grants Manager, Ellie Maguire: 07592 032666 / grants@dorsetcf.org

Timeframe

We open for applications on Wednesday, May 28

The deadline to apply is midday on Wednesday 2nd July

You will be notified of the outcome of your application by early August and grants will be awarded by the end of August.

How to apply

To apply please CLICK HERE

You will need to attach the following supporting documents to your online application, or send them via email to grants@dorsetcf.org

• A copy of your constitution/governing document, if you are not registered at Companies House or the Charities Commission
• A copy of a recent bank statement no more than 3 months old. This can be a scanned/photo of paper statement, or a copy downloaded from an online account – we need to see the bank name and the account name, number and sort code
• A copy of your latest annual accounts (if they more than a year old, please send draft accounts for the current year if you can) – in the case of new groups, please send a financial forecast or budget for your first year if you have one
• Your Safeguarding policy and Equality & Diversity policy *our guidance notes may be helpful
• (CICs operating more than 1 year should also provide their CIC 34 report, and those with micro accounts only should provide their Trading profit and loss accounts)

Apart from the bank statement, you do not have to send these if you have already sent these documents in the last six months.

NB We have added any ‘any other information’ box to all our application forms, requested via our last survey with applicants. This is after the main questions and can be used to clarify anything you need to.

 

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* For support with policy development or reviews we recommend you contact one of the local support agencies for voluntary sector groups – Community Action Network offers support to groups in the BCP area.

Safeguarding policy – there are helpful online resources such as the Charity Commission’s guidance on Safeguarding and the NSPCC website. New groups or those without any current policy may find it helpful to watch this short video ‘Safeguarding adults in the voluntary sector’  introducing what Safeguarding is and why it is relevant for all voluntary sector groups, no matter how small or who you are working with.

We also recommend groups consider adding their details to the helpandkindness website, which provides a map of services in Dorset to help people find local support when they need it.

Equality & Diversity policy – we recommend this should include as a minimum: reference to the Equality Act 2010 and explicitly covering all protected characteristics, equal access to services & employment and ways you achieve this, preventing harassment or discrimination and how complaints are dealt with fairly.

 

In order for us to follow our decision-making process, the information given in your application will be shared with our independent panel members and/or donors as appropriate. Panel members are subject to a confidentiality agreement. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information on data sharing and storage.